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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: wax · current · lie · file · degree · band · suit · present

  1. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  2. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  3. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  4. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  5. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  6. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  7. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  8. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  9. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  10. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  11. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  12. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  13. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  14. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  15. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  16. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  17. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  18. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  19. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  20. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  21. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  22. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  23. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  24. When will it ________________ you to start?

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. wax — in the ear
  2. current — happening now
  3. degree — from a university
  4. file — a line of people
  5. band — a rubber band
  6. file — a tool
  7. present — a gift
  8. degree — an amount
  9. present — the time now
  10. present — there
  11. wax — for sculpting
  12. wax — to grow
  13. suit — in cards
  14. current — electric
  15. lie — to recline
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. suit — clothes
  19. band — a music group
  20. band — a ring
  21. current — of water
  22. degree — temperature
  23. file — a document
  24. suit — to fit

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com